Next Christmas
by BrnEyesTX
Summary: It's been a year, now some down time for the Sheppard's. With the help of some friends can they find a Winter Wonderland for the holidays. (Flyboy's - Jack, Cam, Evan and John)
1. Chapter 1 : Let's Do It Again

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters or plots. I mean no infringement; this is for personal benefit only.

**Author's note:** This is for the GateWorld TEAM FLY-BOY Thread

It's a Fly Boy Christmas 2012  
-2nd part of last year's story 12 Day's set a year later.

This year each Flyboy will have their own week of celebration thus EACH Flyboy will get their own chapter for this story, Jack, Cameron, Evan and John.

- Pairing: Sheppard/Cadman (because she makes his heart go BOOM!)  
- Set after season 5 because they never went back!  
- Thank you to Ladygris for her beautiful eyes

Next Christmas ~Chapter 1 Lets Do It Again

Jack O'Neill

Jack fingered through the papers in the box on the corner of his desk. The minutes ticking into hours as he waited until it was time to leave and start his holiday leave. Paper, paper, paper, the typed words just blending into one another, as he placed it back in the box knowing he could not get anything done with his lack of concentration this afternoon. Leaning back, he patted his left shirt pocket with the tickets for his trip. He could feel the folded papers with the bar scan code that would allow him to board the plane carrying him away for three wonderful weeks. Slowly he closed his eyes thinking of the warm wind and cool waters that would greet him when he landed. Tipping back further into his imagination, he pictured the warm soft woman that would be with him. _SNAP_! He jerked back when the falling sensation hit him. Mumbling about getting the chair fixed his eyes checked the office, double checking no one saw him almost fall from his chair. A flash of bright red caught his attention from the stack of papers.

Pulling the paper from the stack he groaned see the senders request. Pushing a space clear he picks up the phone. A smirk appears on his lips as he dials a number.

At Stargate command a vibration radiates from Cam's pocket as he reaches to answer his phone. "Mitchell." a curt voice fills the receiver.

"Hello. . . ." Jack whispered into the phone knowing it would raise the hairs on Cam's neck.

"No, no, no, not another thing, as it is I could be court-martialed for what you've asked me to do!" Cam's eyes darted around as he rushed into a closet to have this conversation.

"Aww Mitchell, don't be such a Boy Scout." Jack began his recline again at his office in D.C.

"Sir, you know I would do anything for my team. I have done.." Cam closed the door to the closet and pushed his back against the door so he could block anyone from walking in on him as he continued talking in a hushed voice. "If Sam founds out this whole trip is a hoax..."

"Nah, she won't. Just get her to the meeting place and I will take it from there." Resting comfortably with one hand behind his neck Jack began to put his shoes up on the desk. An air of confidence filled him.

Jack thinks back to the last vacation he arranged for himself and Sam, it had been a disaster. She stormed off wet, mad as hell and without her luggage. In his defense that was the only thing he was not responsible for was the airline misplacing her luggage.

"Trust me, Mitchell. I got this one, I've learned my lesson. She will not be disappointed. If it makes you feel better, I did let Vala help me."

Cam face palmed and groaned. "I am so dead."

"Pish, Mitchell! Man up! You worry like a girl. Now listen, I didn't call you to second guess yourself. I need another favor."

Cam slowly slid down the door into crouched position so he would be ready when the ax fell on his head. "Hit me," he said is a flat dead tone.

"Thatta boy, glad to hear you're on board. I got a request in from Sheppard. He needs a ride."

Cam felt the pressure roll off his shoulders. "Sheppard, John Sheppard?"

"Well, actually, the Sheppard's. John just needs some assistance from your side to get the ball rolling on his vacation, without the little missus knowing. Before you say anything, Yes I did tell him about my last trip and he said he knew and already worked the whole thing out with Keller. Just need you to double check all the arrangements and arrange some transportation. You think you can handle that?" Jack finished with the phone nestled into his neck, feet planted on the desk and a wisp of sarcasm in his voice.

Pushing his fingers through his hair Cam relaxed, "Yes, sir. That I can do." He began breathing again. A comfortable pattern in and out.

"Will send the request before I leave today. Oh and Mitchell have a Merry Christmas."

The phone disconnected before Cam got a chance to respond. Slipping his cell phone back into his pocket, he opened the door and peered into the hallway before he rejoined the busy traffic at Stargate Command.

_BAM! _Jack flew back in the chair pulling the phone cord from the wall. He landed with a crash onto the floor. "Oh hell!"

Repeated knocking sounded at the door. "General, are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine. Darn chair finally broke." He crawled off the floor and began to straighten his uniform.

The door slowly opened and a small gasp from his secretary causing Jack to turn around. She quietly rushed in and began to look him over, checking to make sure he really wasn't hurt in any way.

"I said I'm fine." His ego taking most of the bruising. "With no chair, I'll get nothing done. Take care of it while I'm off." Jack muttered as began to collect his things from the coat rack on the wall, still clutching the request from Sheppard.

His secretary walked over behind the desk looking at the chair now in two pieces. "Sir, I'll call maintenance and can have a replacement here in five minutes."

After tugging his hat on his head and folding his coat over his forearm, Jack pulled the women into a side hug. "That won't be necessary. Enjoy your vacation and have a Merry Christmas."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll have this replaced before you return. Merry Christmas, General." she replied.

Jack left D.C. smiling as he headed home, ready to say his pretend goodbyes to Sam. She believed she was heading off to conference in Florida for two weeks and would meet up with Jack in Colorado for Christmas.

If only she knew.. but that's another story...


	2. Chapter 2 : Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Do it again

Chapter 2

Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell thumbed through the last of his paperwork before he headed home for the day. He eyed the clock wondering if General O'Neill would forward on Sheppard's request before it was time to head out.

A knock on his office door refocused his attention. "Come in."

Daniel stuck his head in, "Vala and I are heading to dinner, wondered if you would like to join us?" His voice wavered between a casual question and a silent plea. He enjoyed his friendship with Vala, but her antics wore out his cautious nature.

Cam stood and smoothed the wrinkles from his uniform. "Is Tealc going?" He wondered what details about 'dinner' Daniel had left out in his invitation for the evening.

The door slammed all the way open with a high pitch shill. "Darling, I asked a few others to join us." Vala adjusted her hot pink scarf around her neck, before batting her eyelashes and turning her attention onto Mitchell. "Come on _Cammie_, it will be fun." Her turned in a husky whisper as she began to lay herself across his desk.

Watching Daniel face flinch in the silent torture of Vala's antics, Cam began pushing Vala off his desk as you would correct a child climbing on the furniture. Shaking his head in defeat he relented, agreeing to tag along to 'dinner' now turned dinner party.

Cam thought to himself _'Doing it for my country,'_ as he would protect the human race from attack of aliens from other worlds. It seemed a restaurant in town needed protection from Vala this evening.

Without a thought to the correction she had been given by Cam for the inappropriate way she was acting in the office, Vala leaped back into the hall collecting victims in her wake to attend her impromptu 'dinner.'

"Yeah sure, give me ten to lock up and meet you topside." Cam replied allowing Daniel to breath a sign of relief that there would be someone to back him up when the time came to reel Vala in for the night.

Daniel turned, looking almost tired as he followed the mess he'd created by offering to take Vala out of the mountain for the evening. He would never learn.

Looking at the glowing numbers on the clock Cam rolled over into the covers of his warm bed, groaning at the early hour. The smell of coffee hit in square in the face! He jumped from the bed grabbing a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt off the chair in the corner where he'd thrown his clothes as he dragged himself to bed late last night.

Slowly he tiptoed down the hall grabbing a baseball bat. Then he put it back, thinking a burglar wouldn't really be making coffee. He looked around the living room for any evidence of whom may be in his kitchen and, seeing nothing, he peeked in.

There at the table sat Vala with her head hung low just barely hovering over the coffee. Daniel leaned against the counter with a smug smile on his face sipping his tea.

"Morning." Cam spoke in a confused state as why these two were in his apartment at this hour of the morning.

"Good morning Mitchell. Vala would respond too if it did not hurt her head so much to speak." Danial said in a loud whisper. "I told her not to drink so much but when have any of you listened to me."

Pointing his finger in the air gesturing to Daniel that his memory had returned of the previous night's antics, he walked over to the coffee pot pouring a cup and falling into the chair beside Vala.

Daniel patted his shoulder and laid a large manila envelope in front of his friend. "This was stuck in your door last night when we got here. From Jack." His tone conveying that he questioned what may be inside the envelope.

Picking up the envelope Cam tore it open. The contents poured out onto the table. Brochures and scratched notes making a small paper mountain on front of him. A folder sheet of paper still remained wedged inside the package. Cam pulled it out and began reading.

_O'Neill,_

_ I had Lorne make the arrangements of Keller's recommendations for our upcoming anniversary vacation. I need a favor. I am taking Laura ice fishing in Alaska. If we could get a drop to and from, it would be great. Maybe someone is in the area, if you know what I mean?_

_ Sheppard_

Thinking Sheppard wasn't a man of many words, Cameron could now see why he was needed to pull this favor off. He knew there was no ship in the area to beam them in and out during the holiday month. If he had someone shuttle them in a puddle jumper to and from, it would be one more person to include in this grave misuse of government property. For some reason, O'Neill and Sheppard felt as times the SGC was their personal toy box. He folded the paper and returned it to the envelope then pushed the fallen brochures into a neat pile on the table.

"Do I even want to know?" Daniel asked adding some milk to his tea.

"Plausible deniability." Cam winked to Daniel as they both nodded in understanding.


	3. Chapter 3 : Five Golden Rings

Five Golden Rings

Evan Lorne

Evan sauntered down the hall feeling pretty good about himself this morning. He reached inside his jacket pocket to rub the soft velvet ring box. This Christmas he was going to propose to Jennifer. He had so many second thoughts on why a relationship would not work, and then a simple answer came from Ronon one afternoon during a work out.

_Ronon growled at the Major. Lorne didn't have his focus on his posture for their training but rather his thoughts centered around Jennifer. Ronon needed this work out and would not allow chatter about the Major's love life to interfere with his training. He drop kicked and swung his leg out sending Lorne down again. "Can I give you some advice?" _

_Evan looked up surprised at the look on Ronon's face. Why did he look so pissed? "Sure."_

"_Do you love her?"_

_Simple yet the same question Evan keep worrying over the past few months. He loved her, but was love enough to survive this crazy life in the Pegasus galaxy? He was sure the day to day routine was nothing that his parents or sister faced in there married lives. Would their life style measure up to a happy home? Could he watch his wife walk through the gate knowing she may not come back, or could she deal with the countless near death experiences he lived with daily? Was love enough to get them through, or should he wait till they left Atlantis and then try to start a life together on a 'normal' occupation?_

"_Well?" _

"_I love her. It's…" he just got out before Ronon stuck up his hand to stop him._

_Ronon reached his other hand to pull Evan off the floor, "Then do it. Marry her. Don't wait."_

_Evan paused and the words hit him, like an epiphany, **'Don't wait."** He let a small smile curl up on his lips and then drop kicked Ronon to the mat._

_Evan turned and started for the door? "Where you going?" Ronon asked with his butt on the mat for a change._

"_I've got a ring to buy!" he yelled over his shoulder._

Now with the ring and his date set with Jennifer for later tonight, he was finally going to ask his girl to be his wife. He was almost giddy as he turned into his office.

Colonel Sheppard banged at the computer on the desk when Evan slipped into the office. "Major, the password." He was still perplexed at the new security measures the SGC had forced them to use for email back to Earth. "I am waiting to hear from O'Neill about my vacation." He checked his watch again darting his eyes back to the screen. "But I need to get to the gate room."

"Go, sir, I'll take care of it for you. Any questions, I'll ask Keller." His warm smile radiating off his face.

"You feeling ok?" John stood up and stepped away from the computer looking at his second. "You look a little too happy."

"I'm fine. It's just holiday cheer. Go! You're late"

"If you say so." John grabbed his pack off the desk dropping the contents on the floor. He'd forgotten to zip it closed.

Both men leaned over to collect the items; rain poncho, few MRE's and handheld game device. Evan smirked at the game. John Sheppard would always be a kid at heart.

"What's this?" Examining a small blue velvet box that had fallen from Evan's jacket pocket, John knew exactly what was in the box. He was just glad Evan finally was ready to take the next step.

Lorne just grinned telling John what he already knew.

"Good luck, and congratulations, you two make a great team." John clapped his shoulder as he left the office for the gate room.

Evan sat down at the desk putting the ring box back into his jacket pocket, entered the pass word and reviewed the flight information from O'Neill c/o Colonel Mitchell, printed out the information for Col. Sheppard's inbox, reviewed some memos, replied to some emails then and then closed up the office.

The sound of singing lured Evan toward the main dining room in the mess hall. He was going to grab a quick bite and find a quiet place to finish his reports out of the office today. He stood with several other Marines watching the group of carolers singing Christmas songs until a voice caught his attention. Jennifer stood with several other medical personal singing. He felt his heart burst with pride that HIS GIRL had the voice of an angel.

Jennifer had watched Evan walk in and she too felt a warmth wash over her when their eyes meet. She too was excited about their special dinner tonight. Once the song ended she excused herself to a secluded alcove off the hall outside the mess hall.

Evan grabbed two water bottles and stuffed a wrapped sandwich in his jacket pocket for later. His eyes surveyed the dessert table then he grabbed a fruit cup for Jennifer tucking the silverware packet in his other pocket.

Wrapping his arms around her waist as Jennifer stood at the balcony, Evan whispered in her ear. "Hello." Then, he kissed her cheek. "Did you eat?"

She frowned, "Sorry already ate, but I can keep you company for," she glanced at her watch, "fifteen more minutes."

Evan smiled pulling the treat from his pocket as he watched her face light up at the smallest of gestures. "I got you something sweet."

"Awww." She sat down next to him then leaned in to peck him on the lips. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He grinned, knowing that in a few hours he would be engaged.


	4. Chapter 4 : Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

John Sheppard

* * *

Laura Sheppard. It still caused butterflies in her stomach when it rolled off her lips even after a year.

"Yes, Sheppard. Laura Sheppard in cabin four-fifteen." She spoke into the phone at Ice Fishing Camp.

The Sheppards had checked into a quaint cabin in the woods two days ago, then woke this morning to find themselves snowed in.

"AND!" an exasperated John called from the bathroom.

"We're snowed in." As if the windows and doorway blanketed in white was not obvious enough. "She said it could take a few days to dig all the remote cabins out. There is a generator located behind a panel in the pantry if we lose power."

Stepping out of the bathroom with a towel barely clinging to his hips as he towel dried his hair. " A few days? Babe, just say the word and I will have us beamed out of here within the hour. I am _so_ sorry."

Laura put the phone back on the coffee table and walked a whole three feet to the small kitchen in the one room cabin they rented for the week. "John, it's fine, I don't mind," she said as a smile crept up on her lips. "I think this may be fun, just you and me with NOTHING," she waved her hands in the air, "to disturb us. No calls from the gate room, no McKay!" She burst into a fit of giggles at the look on John's face.

"Really? You don't mind? I just thought you wanted to go skiing and we were going to dinner in town tonight. Hey, what's so funny?"

Laura crossed the room as John tossed the towel he had been drying his hair with onto the floor in the bathroom. She removed the long T-shirt she had been wearing that morning and then yanked the remaining towel from him. "I really don't care what is going on outside of this cabin," she said as she pulled him back to the bed with her. "I hope it takes them days to dig us out." Then she covered his mouth with a delicious kiss that made all them both forgot the world outside.

~o~

"This is crazy, Vala, even for you." Cam stood watching as Vala admired her handy work

"I think its sweet: a few days locked in a den of equity." She smirked adjusting her gloves as she stood by the road near the cabin the Sheppard's were currently stranded in as she pocketed her cell phone.

"Den of Iniquity," Daniel corrected. "How do we let her talk us into this?"

"It's a favor for Laura," she chimed in. "I am only to happy to help. You did disconnect the phone line after I spoke with Laura?"

"Yes, windows and doors covered with snow, check! Front desk has been notified to leave them alone for two days, all done." Cam zipped up his jacket and kicked off the snow off his boots. "And why again did Cadman ask you to do this?"

"I already told you, a girl likes romance and being snowed in is romantic, not fishing." She waved for the boys to follow her back to the jumper.

"I told you those romance novels would bite us in the butt one day," Daniel remarked as he trailed behind Vala.

"Yeah, let's get out of here before the sound effects start." Cam cringed bringing up the rear of the group.

Daniel paused and turned to Mitchell. "I wonder how Jack is doing. You know Vala and Sam are pretty tight."

"Oh crap!" Cam ran his hand across the back of his neck.

"Indeed." Daniel just shook his head and headed back toward the jumper.

~ The end? Maybe one more chapter to check in on Jack and Sam.. one really does have to wonder what's going on.. If Vala helped him plan his holiday get away…..


End file.
